FAQ for Starlink in New Zealand
Performance
Because Starlink is a beta the speed is changing . At the moment we typically see between 120Mbps to 300Mbps download speed. A conservative average is around 170Mbps . The graph below adds Starlink to the speeds from ComCom NZs “Annual Telecommunications Monitoring Report 2020”. Note that these are averages and there is much variation (particular for ADSL and fixed wireless).
Unfortunately we don’t have any speed data for WISPs.
Anything above 25Mbps will be satisfactory for many people.
Possibly because of a weak WiFi signal between your device and the router. For best speed test results use a PC directly cabled to the router or Ethernet adaptor.
If you want to test using WiFi then best results will be obtained with a higher speced device used in close vicinity to the router.
For example, on my basic phone the speed test result is around 50Mbps. Whereas the test on my hard wired PC is often greater than 200Mbps.
Yes, fibre is generally cheaper and faster (depending on the plan)
Starlink is global and is being designed to have enough capacity for North America and Europe. Luckily the same satellites fly over us. The performance in NZ will possibly be even better because:
- our low population density
- less land area under each satellite (ie there is a lot of sea under each satellite) , which further reduces the number of people served per satellite
Our dish has worked fine during heavy rain and thunderstorms. Below is the performance during a thunderstorm.
LEO satellite networks have the potential to route around the worst rain. For example, your dishy might pick a satellite that has the least amount of rain in the path.
However if the weather gets bad enough there is some potential for reduced performance. We have not experienced that yet.
Yes, ComCom publishes Starlink speed results in its MBNZ report
Assuming that there are no real obstructions, the performance may increase significantly in a day or two. Part of the reason is that some dishes have shipped with software that is months old. Once the software updated automatically, the “obstructions” disappeared.
Starlink sell a mesh unit for the rectangular dishys. You can also use a 3rd party mesh, but you will need to buy an “Ethernet Adaptor” from Starlink.
If you have a round dishy then a 3rd party mesh can be used (see blog).
Ordering & Customer Services
Important- its recommended that you use a good internet connection to activate your account (before physical installation).
- Open landing page of your preferred service – Residential (starlink.com) or RV (starlink.com/roam)
(note that RV is more expensive so be careful which option you choose) - Enter address and select “Order Now“
- Check box “I already have my Starlink“
- Enter your Starlink Kit Number. (Its located on the Starlink Kit shipping label on the box eg KIT00000123 * )
- Enter your contact and billing information
- Select “Place Order“
Placing your order will activate your service immediately. Your Starlink service statement will generate automatically every 30 days.
Note – Residential service activation is not possible in areas at full capacity.
* If you dont have box, the Terminal ID Starlink Identifier can be otherwise found in the Starlink App while your Starlink is plugged in by following these steps: App home screen > Settings > Advanced > (00000000-00000000-00000000)
www.noelleeming.co.nz or Starlink.com (There is no Starlink phone number that you can call.)
The time from placing a full order until NZ delivery has typically been 1 to 2 weeks.
Note that there is a difference between a “pre-order” and a “full order”. A full order is approx. NZ$900
General
Starlink serves a niche market. Its mainly for people with no, expensive, or poor quality broadband.
- No fibre or WISP availability (check availability at Broadband Map NZ )
- Want no data caps
- Want fast speeds (but not extreme)
- Probably rural
Generally yes. The terms state:-
“Services and the Starlink Kit are for use exclusively at the address you provided in your Order, and only for personal, family, household or residential use.”
However it does not appear to be strictly enforced. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that they don’t care as long as you don’t try to claim damages for any outages.
In 2022 Starlink launched a Business service that is aimed at enterprises.
No. There is no lock in contract.
On average between 40W and 75W depending what hardware version you have. Starlink have said that software optimisations will see power consumption improve.
Here are results from some tests that I made in late August 2021. Equipment:-
- Dishy Hardware: black “rev1_pre_production” (received this August)
- Software: f9ff8ff1-b950-4524-8515-a105a2709cc4.uterm.release
The actual power consumption varied significantly based on usage:-
- Minimal network traffic- 68W or 74W (usually the former)
- Speed test (Download)- 130W
- Speed test (Upload)- 79W
Yes if you subscribe to the Starlink Portability feature.
See Portability section for further info.
Voice Calling
Telephone service is not included presently. However you can add your own by using a VoIP provider such as 2Talk, Hero , Kiwi Internet or Kiwi VoIP. Some technical knowledge may be required to setup VoIP.
In the US, Starlink are planning to provide telephone service, so it will probably be available here too eventually.
You can also use WiFi Calling with some mobile phones.
Yes if you have a compatible mobile.
Installation
There are two main steps: point at sky and plug in.
The install requires some basic DIY skills and tools. You may need a long 20mm diameter drill bit to get the cable into your house (we went through the floor)
The dish has motors and automatically points itself in the right direction.
We recommend that you protect the dish cable as much as practical because repairing the cable would not be trivial for most people. Electrical conduit can be purchased cheaply (eg 25 mm medium conduit is approx $5.50 per 4m length) for the more exposed positions.
Clear vinyl tubing can also be used to provide some protection around corners. (6mm ID split with knife)
A clear view is needed of the sky (mainly in the southern direction). There is a Starlink App to help check for potential obstructions.
Yes, in extreme cases Dishes have been known to temporarily shutdown.
The early hardware versions were rated for ambient temperatures up to 40 degree C. The rectangular dishes are rated for 50 degree C.
Best practice would be to install the dish in the coolest place practical.
In extreme cases consider the colour of your roof.
WiFi can be a struggle to get from one side of the house to another. If possible, locating the router centrally may help.
You can measure your Wifi signal strength with a free app on your phone or tablet. Eg WiFiman by Ubiquiti Inc. Generally a measurement between 0 and -60dBm is good.
If you have a larger home then WiFi “Access Point” or “router” may be required in another part of the house. This should be connected via an Ethernet cable to the Starlink router.
WiFi “Range Extenders” should generally be avoided unless they are connected via an Ethernet cable.
WiFi “mesh” systems can be fast but are more expensive. Starlink sell a mesh unit for the rectangular dishys. If you have a round dishy then a 3rd party mesh can be used (see blog).
Yes.
The Starlink provided router is light on features. If you need more features then it is possible to use your own router.
Note that with the rectangular dish you need to purchase an Ethernet Adaptor to connect your own router.
Starlink sell a mesh unit for the rectangular dishys. You can also use a 3rd party mesh, but you will need to buy an “Ethernet Adaptor” from Starlink.
If you have a round dishy then a 3rd party mesh can be used without buying the adaptor (see blog).
Its probably a good idea for most people with a gen 2 rectangular dish (not required on gen 1 or gen 3). Its useful for troubleshooting, and its also required if you are adding your own mesh system.
Warning, this can get complicated.
For the app to work fully, at least one of the following must apply:
- Your dish is fully operational and you are logged into the Starlink app, and/or
- Your router has a static route to 192.168.100.1/64. Some routers allow you to enter this manually. Others will automatically get the static route from the dish (its in the DHCP offer from starlink)
Troubleshooting Starlink can be difficult if you only have (1) above. In this case the app won’t be able to connect to the dish if the dish is disconnected from the internet.
Note that the “Debug Data” screen in the App has much useful troubleshooting info. (Settings -> Advanced -> Debug Data)
The “Debug Data” screen in the Starlink App has much useful troubleshooting info. (Settings -> Advanced -> Debug Data)
Power supply
Yes, and power savings of around 20% have been reported.
However it is not a trivial exercise. The POE (Power over Ethernet) implementation is not totally standard. The Facebook group “Starlink Hacks” is a good source of information on what is required.
Also see dishypowa.com
Shortening the cable to 5 feet has been reported to save approx 5% power. (Not recommended for most circumstances though.)
Powering directly with DC saves even more power (approx 20%), but is more difficult.
Also see Dishypowa.
Portability
Yes in most cases.
There is no charge.
You will be unable to change your address if the new area does not have current service availability. Most of NZ currently has service availability. (See Starlink Availability Map.)
By changing your location, you may not be able to return to your original address based on service availability. Once updated, service at your previous address will be disconnected, and the spot will become available to new customers
Starlink is now offering a mobile service at any destination where Starlink provides active coverage. At the time of writing, there is no waitlist – all orders will be shipped shortly after the order is placed, including to “Waitlist” areas on the Starlink Availability Map.
Users can expect higher speeds in areas marked “Available”, and notably slower speeds during events with many collocated users, or during hours of peak usage in areas marked as “Waitlist”, where residential users are prioritised. Prioritising residential makes it possible to offer Starlink Roam immediately with minimal impact to the most loaded portions of the network.
Users can pause and un-pause service at any time. See Starlink.com/roam .
Starlink Roam is not meant for use while in-motion.
Let us know if you have any other questions via our Feedback Form. We’ll see if we can find an answer.